Video gaming machines also are commonly known as slot, poker or fruit machines, and provide a player with a game of chance. Money is inserted in a gaming machine, or electronically transferred, to purchase xe2x80x9ccreditsxe2x80x9d on the machine. The credits are then used to wager against games played, and all winnings and losses occur in credit value.
Traditional games played on gaming machines include spinning reel games, where various combinations of indicia appearing on simulated spinning reels across one or more win lines result in credits being awarded and added to the player""s credit total. Other gaming machines offer card games, such as draw poker or blackjack. Common to both forms of games is a secondary or bonus game feature, whereby, on any winning game of the primary or base game, a bonus mode is entered. In the bonus mode the winnings from the first game can be wagered, typically in a xe2x80x9cdouble upxe2x80x9d scenario, viz., the winnings can be doubled or lost. Such xe2x80x9cdouble upxe2x80x9dgame features typically involve a binary choice, such as selecting whether a xe2x80x9cface downxe2x80x9d card is of a red or black suit. In other forms, a xe2x80x9cbeat the dealerxe2x80x9d feature can be provided where a player is dealt a card, then must choose one card from four xe2x80x9cface downxe2x80x9d cards that beats the revealed dealt card on face value. xe2x80x9cDouble upxe2x80x9d features have proved very popular with players of gaming machines.
In many gaming establishments, it is almost always the case that there will be a number of gaming machines provided by different vendors, and it is a particular motivation of vendors for their gaming machines to be played over others. This is relevant to both the income derived from the lease of the machines to the licensed premises and in seeking to ensure ongoing business with the licensed premises. It is thus a very real motivation for vendors to provide new and commercially useful game functions to attract players to their particular machines within any given licensed premises.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game bonus feature that gives a player greater variety of choice and enjoyment in playing gaming machines having bonus game features.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for operation of a gaming machine, comprising the steps of:
providing a first game; and
On occurrence of a triggering event in a play of said first game, entering a second bonus game in which a common game type with two or more game choices is provided, said game choices having respective odds of winning that are unique integer multiples, specifically odds that are inversely proportional to the number of possible selections within the respective game choice.
The invention further discloses a gaming machine comprising: a display by which game play is displayed to a player; player input controls for player interaction in game play; and
A programmed controller, having control over game play and operation and operable to provide a first game, and on occurrence of a triggering event in play of the first game to enter a second bonus game in which a common game type with two or more game choices is provided, said game choices having respective odds of winning that are inversely proportional to the number of possible selections within the respective game choice.
Once a game choice is made, a further individual choice is made by the player upon which the outcome of the bonus game is determined.
In a preferred embodiment, the choices are displayed to a player graphically in a manner to indicate the ascending or descending odds. In one form, the choices can be as lines of face down cards to be revealed, to be arranged as a pyramid. The lines can have one common winning card amongst them.
The invention further discloses a method for operation of a gaming machine, comprising the steps of:
providing a spinning reel game of chance; and
on occurrence of a triggering event in a play of said spinning reel game, entering a bonus card game including the further steps of:
(i) displaying at least two rows of face-down cards;
(ii) a player selecting a row and choosing a card within that row, and wherein the respective odds of choosing a winning card are 1/n, where n is the number of possible selections within each game choice, and n is a unique value for each said choice, specifically including a prize having a value that is proportional to the number of possible selections within the respective game choice.
Practice of the present invention is commercially advantageous in that there will be increased interest and enjoyment by players of gaming machines, increased sales of machines by vendors and increased revenues for the operators of licensed premises and taxing authorities such as governments.